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- Safety
- Smallpox virus is highly infectious. Manipulation of specimen
material should be avoided, but if necessary, use Biosafety Level 3
practices.
- If smallpox is suspected, notify your state public health
laboratory IMMEDIATELY for evaluation and referral.
- Smallpox is a medical and public health emergency even when
criminal activity is not suspected. Diagnosis is made by clinical
findings and confirmed by advanced techniques in Level D
facilities.
- Level A laboratories should not attempt to Culture or perform
any diagnostic assays on specimens suspected of containing smallpox
virus.
- Responsibility of the Level A Laboratory is limited to
advising medical staff on specimen selection and with packing, shipping,
and communication of specimens from suspected case.
| Specimen Collection |
|---|
| Specimen |
Transport Conditions |
Storage Conditions |
| Biopsy: aseptically place two to four portions of
tissue into a sterile, leakproof, freezable container. |
<= 6 h / 4°C |
-20°C to -70°C |
| Scabs: aseptically place scrapings/material into a
sterile, leakproof, freezable container. |
<= 6 h / 4°C |
-20°C to -70°C |
| Vesicular fluid: collect fluid from separate lesions onto
separate sterile swabs. Be sure to include cellular materials from the
base of each respective vesicle. |
<= 6 h / 4°C |
-20°C to -70°C |
YOUR STATE PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY MUST BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY
OF ANY SPECIMENS RECEIVED FROM A PATIENT WHOSE CLINICAL COURSE IS
CONSISTENT WITH SMALLPOX.
- Contact
- If you suspect the above agent, immediately contact (in the order presented):
- Drs. Lucy DesJardin and Mike Pentella at the University
Hygienic Laboratory. If they aren't readily available, ask for someone in
the Bacteriology, Virology, Serology, or Molecular laboratory.
319.335.4500 or 1.800.421.IOWA(4692)
- University Hygienic Laboratory Duty Officer
319.335.4500 or 319.530.5981
- As a final resort, the following 24-hour emergency hotlines
have been established:
Iowa Public Health Emergency Terrorism/Disaster Notification Hotline
1.866.834.9671
Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 Spill Hotline
913.281.0991
CDC Hotline 404.639.2540 or 777.488.7100
National Response Center (oil and chemical spills) 800.424.8802
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